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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · mine · coach · game · bound · track · hide · ball

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. game — a match
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. field — farmland
  14. bound — obliged
  15. track — a song
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. field — a subject
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. field — for sport
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com